Closing means for discharge orifices



New. 26, 1929. L. EIRICH AL CLOSING MEANS FOR DISCHARGE ORIFICES 3 Sheets-Sheet l lnvenfors:

Filed March 26, 1929 Nam 2, 1929; L. EIRICH Er AL 1 CLOSING MEANS FOR DISCHARGE ORIFIOES Filed March 6, 1.929 5 Sheets$heet 2 2 IV S g Q A H1 I IE I ng. I T i q .l ii

Nov. 26, 1929. I H T AL CLOSING MEANS FOR DISCHARGE ORIFIGES 5 Sheebs-Sheet 3 Filed March 26, 1929 Patented Nov. 2%, 1929 UNITED 'STAT' mean FFICE CLOSING MEANS FOR DISCHARGE ORIFICES Application filed March 26,1929, Serial No. 350,037, and in Germany March 5, 1928. v

The invention relates to closing means for the discharge orifices of mixers, grinding and stirring machines, edge mills and the like, used for mixing or grinding materials 5 of various kinds, including more'pa'rticularly ceramic materials.

The closing devices to which the invention relates are of the kind in which, for opening and closing the discharge orifice, a

cover is given a compound movement, namely a movement substantially perpendicular to the orifice and a lateral movement.

According to the invention both the said movements are effected by means of a sta tionary actuating shaft acting on a rack bar or bars, the shaft enabling several covers to be controlled together, with the aid of belt or chain gear from a distance, and the rack, or one of the racks, having a notch for engagement with a slidable carrier for the cover, whereby the cover is moved laterally after orbefore the said rack, or the second rack, has imparted perpendicular movement to the cover.

For opening the discharge outlet a crank handle pulley or the like is turned, causing the cover to be lowered from the outlet until it is clear of the same, and then the cover automatically moves horizontally until it is clear of. the outlet. The outlet is closed by turning the handle or the like in the opposite direction, so that at first horizontal movement takes place, until it is arrested by a stop when the cover is properly in register with the outlet, and then the cover moves up into the outlet.

. A driving member or crank handle which remains in one position is of particular advantage where the material is to be discharged from the mixer or the like automatically at regular intervals, for example by means of an electric control clock.

A further feature of the invention is the stances prevents it from rotating in the opposite direction, both of which occurrences cause excessive Wear.

Another form of packing which we may use consists of a ring of elastic material, such as tough or hard rubber, whose pressure is r'egulatable. This form of packing may be "used in combination with the resilient ring or rings previously mentioned.

The accompanying drawingsillustrate several examples ofappa'ratus according to the invention.

Figs. 1 to 5 show an example having a "0 double rack.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectionon the line Of 2. I v Fig. 2 is a cross section through-the closure in the closed position on the line AA of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a similar cross section with the closure in the lowered position.

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view.

I Fig. 5 is a View in the direction of the so arrow E shown in Fig. 1.

Figs. 6 to 8 show an example in which a single rack is used.

Fig. 6 being a cross section through a portion of the mixer. as

Fig. 7 a longitudinal section on the-line v AA of Fig. 6, and

Fig. 8 a section on the line B-B of Fig.

Fig. 9 shows another modification of the closure in cross section.

, Referring first to Figs. 1 to 5, the cover a within the. opening of' the rotary mixing chamber 6 is moved vertically and horizontally by a-pinion c operated by a crank handled. Alternatively the pinion may be driven by a pulley or chain drive so that the operator may control the mechanism from a distance. The pinion c engages a horizontal rack bar 0 having downwardly directed teeth. Connected to the bar 6 is a second rack bar f having upwardly directed teeth engaging a spur wheel g. The shaft h of the spur wheel 9 has a crank h connected.

by a rod k and pin 72.3 to a sleeve h which is vertically reciprocatable in a guide 72. and carries the cover a.

For opening the discharge opening of the chamber b, that is for lowering the cover a the crank handle 03 is operated to rotate the pinion 0 in anticlockwise direction, and moves the rack bars eand f to the left, as viewed in Fig. 1. This movement of the bar f causes the spur wheel g and crank k to rotate in clockwise direction, whereby the connecting rod k is caused to lower the cover a into one of two circular openings Fand'IIin a slidable plate 2', the top of the ver being then practically level with the lover edge of a ring a which forms a downward extension of the discharge opening.

On completion of this downward movement of the cover horizontal movement to the left is imparted by reason of a spring-loaded bolt 1:, mounted in a bracket 70 fixed to a guide bar 0 engaging a notch k in the rack e, and the plate 2' is moved to the left with the rack e until the discharge opening is completely exposed, the opening II in the plate 2' being directly below it. It will be seen that the bolt is and the notch in which it engages serves to arrest the downward movement at the required moment, and initiate the horizontal movement.

The opening II of the carrier has extending downwardly from it a cylindrical or'tapered tube Z preventing dispersal of the material issuing from the mixer, and confining the same to a well-defined path. Aisilo or bin closed at the bottom may be provided for receiving the material, instead of the tube-Z wise direction the plate '5 is moved 'to the right, and this movement continues until a roller m on a shaft m supporting the-plate z encounters a stop m? on the guide rail n. The stop may alternatively be fixed to the bar 0'. When the horizontal movement is thus arrested the opening I in the plate, and the cover a, are accurately positioned below the discharge opening. During further rotation of the handle 01 the boltk is pushed out of the notch k ,-and the rack bar moves independently of the other closing mechanism, rotating the spur wheel 9 and shaft h in anticlockwise.

direction. The crank 72. turns until it is approximately at the top of its stroke, lifting the cover a. ,The bracket 70 is fixed to the guide rod 0 by meansiof bolts engaging slots in the bracket, which can thus be adjusted longitudinally of the guide rod. By adjusting the bracket the stoppage of the downward movement of the cover a can be so timed that any material adhering to the top surface of the cover is thoroughly scraped off by the ring u when the cover moves horizontally.

wardly directed teeth. The mode of operation is similar to that described with reference to Figs. 1 to 5.

Vertical and horizontal movements of the cover aare effected by the intermeshing pinions 0 operated by a crank handle or pulley.

- The pinion on the shaft 0 engages the teeth of the rack bar 6. At the other end the bar e engages a gear wheel 9 connected to a crank 1L and rod h pivoted to the sleeve k", in which the supporting column a of the cover a is" rotatable. I

When the cover a has been, lowered into the opening provided therefor in the plate 2' the bar 6 has moved far enough for the bolt is to engage the notch in the bar e. A carriage running on rollers m, with the plate i, takes part in the further movement of the bar 6, until the second opening in the plate is immediately below the discharge outlet of the mixer. Lateral movement of the carriage is limited-by a stop m on the carriage. Rollers a guide the rack bar.

Rotation of the crank handle in the opposite direction moves the bar 6 and carriage. in the opposite direction until the plate has placed the cover a in accurateregister with the discharge opening. The movement is limited by the stop an). Further rotation of the crank handle forces the bolt 70 out'of the notch k and effects upward movement of the cover a, with the aid of the gear wheel 9, crank k and connecting rod k When the mixeris operated from a dis- I tance, or when. the cover is automatically it is of particular importance to have a tight By turning the crank handle d in the clock-3 t tion of the two parts, with a certain am 'unt of granular material between them, causes a grinding action and gives rise to rapid wear. The gap thus produced between the parts causes leakage, and the material falling through is liable to damage themechamsm.

In order to prevent this resilient steel rings 8 (Figs. 2, 3 and 5) are provided at the circumference of the cover-a, these rings pressing against the inside of the discharge opening. The ring 8 is preferably arranged below the cover a, where it is held and centered by four small holders '0. One of these holders 22 engages a gap in the ring. The ring pre-.- vents the cover from remaining stationary or rotating in the opposite direction while in the I closed position. The cover and ring, when 1 they move downwards enter the hole in the plate 2', which prevents the ring from expand ing and enables it subsequently to re-enter the discharge opening Without difficulty.

, An effective form of packing for the cover is shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 9, in which the ring a is provided with a ring if of elastic material,

for example tough or hard rubber. The ring a is situated below the discharge opening and screwed thereto either above or below the resilient ring a, the latter position being shown in Fig. 9. The elastic ring u may be made adjustable by means of screws a act-.

ing on segments of metal a. In Fig. 6 only a rubber ring a is used, the resilient ring 8 being dispensed with.

We claim:

1. Closing mechanism for the discharge outlet of mixing and stirring machines, comprising a sliding plate, a closure for said outlet carried by said plate, means on the plate to vertically move the closure and means to reciprocate said plate and also to operate the vertical moving means for the closure before and after reciprocating the plate.

2. Closing mechanism for the discharge outlet of mixing and stirring machines, comprising a sliding plate, a closure for said outlet, means on the plate to vertically move the closure. a rack and pinion mechanism to operate the means to vertically move the closure, and latching means to temporarily connect the plate and rack during the movement of the plate.

3. Closing mechanism for the bottom discharge outlet of mixing and stirring machines, comprising a sliding plate, closing means for said outlet mounted on and movable with said plate, stop means for the plate, means on the plate to vertically move the closure into and out of closing position, a movable rack device for operating the closure operating means, means. to latch the plate to the rack device, and a pinion for operating the rack, whereby when the plate engages said stop means the latching means automatically releases said plate to permit the rack device to continue its movement to actuate the closure operating means.

i 4. Closing mechanism for the discharge outlet of mixing and stirring machines, comprising a plate slidable beneath the outlet having two openings therein, a carriage on which the plate is mounted, rollers on which the carriage is mounted, aclosure for the outlet, means to-vertically move the closure while permitting its rotation, a rack to operate said operating means, and means to adjust the latch relatively to the plate.

5. Closing mechanism for the discharge outlet of mixing and stirring machines, comprising a plate beneath said outlet having an opening for registering with said outlet, a closure, means to move the closure from the outlet into said opening and vice versa while permitting rotation of the closure, a split packing ring, and means on the bottom of the closure to support the ring.

6.- Closing mechanism ,for the discharge outlet of mixing and stirr ng machines, comprising a plate beneath said outlet having an opening registering with said outlet, a closure,

means to move the closure from the outlet into said opening and vice versa while permitting rotation of the closure, a split packing ring, means on the bottom of the closure to support the ring, and a resilient packing arranged to be engaged by said ring.

7. Closing mechanism for the hereto.

Y LUDWIG EIRICH.

JOSEPH EIRICH.

I discharge I outlet of mlxlng and stirrlng-machmes, com- 

